This week, the Missouri Job Center in Cape Girardeau began a satellite operation in Perryville’s Higher Education Center. The government-funded employment agency offers help with resumes, job searches and career counseling, and has seen busier days at their Cape office after a local drop in unemployment.

Office manager Michael Berry says they wanted to provide easier access to those from outlying communities, and job centers across the state are doing the same thing.

The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport celebrated their first flight to Chicago on Friday, Dec. 1 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. In August, the U.S. Department of Transportation approved SkyWest, a United Express airline, as the new air carrier to provide service to the airport, ending an eight year contract with Cape Air.

Airport manager Bruce Loy gave his last thank you to the previous carrier, saying they were an incredible partner in making that moment possible.

The City of Perryville is known for its economic health, especially considering their rural location. Generally full employment is considered to be around 5%, and the unemployment rate there is around 3%. Many companies are headquartered in the city, and many people work there. But there aren’t a lot of places for them to live within city limits, especially homes that would work for a single family. During the day, the population increases by around 40 percent, which indicates that people are probably making a hefty commute to get to work.